CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE
AIM: To equip us to work on our consciences until we have no offence against God or against any man.
TEXT: Acts 24:16; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; Acts 23:1.
MEMORY VERSE: "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men-Acts 24:16.
Conscience is a person's sense of right and wrong. It can be as God placed inside of us to check and arrest when we do wrong. Conscience is the place where the Spirit of God works to speak to us and also where the devil, the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10) works to accuse and condemn us. It is in the conscience that the devil speaks to a child to collect meat from the mother's pot of soup, convincing the child that there is nothing wrong about it. It is also there that the devil blames and condemns the child asking him why he had to collect meat from the mother's pot of soup.
A conscience void of offence toward God and toward man means that you are not guilty before God or men.
LESSON PRESENTATIONS:
1. GOOD CONSCIENCE: 1Tim. 1:5,19; Heb. 13:18; 1Peter 3:16; Acts 23:1: Rom. 2:15, 19:1, 2Cor 1:12.
2. BAD CONSCIENCE: 2Cor. 4:2; John 8:9; Heb. 9:14: 1Tim.
4:2; Heb. 10:22 1 Tim. 3.9.
1. GOOD CONSCIENCE: 1Tim. 1:5,19; Heb. 13:18; 1Peter 3:16; Acts 23:1: Rom 2:15, 19:1:2Cor. 1:12.
One national newspaper that once existed, 'concord newspaper, had its motto as: "conscience is an open wound, which only truth can heal". Once a person's conscience is clear, it brings boldness. One can hardly work against his conscience except if the conscience is seared or dead. If the conscience is alive, it convicts the individual When people talk about having a clean heart, they are also talking about a clear conscience and this is a good conscience. "Now, the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."
(1 Tim. 1:5). Those who put away faith and good conscience make a shipwreck of their Christian faith (1Tim 1:19). A clear conscience fears no accusation (1Peter 3:16) Good conscience is important in the worship of God. Apostle Paul knew this and made it his preoccupation in the worship of God (Acts 23:1)
2. BAD CONSCIENCE: 2Cor. 4:2; John 8:9, Heb. 9:14, 1Tim.
4:2; Heb. 10:22, 1 Tim. 3:9.
What defiles a person's conscience is sin. When sin is dealt with and is kept away from our hearts the conscience will be clear, pure or good (2Cor. 4:2). A defiled conscience is a bad conscience. The people that accused the adulterous woman before Jesus had bad consciences because they were involved in various sins. When Jesus said that any of them who had not sinned should cast the first stone on the woman: their consciences convicted them and they left one after another (John 8:9). When a sinner repents and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the blood of Jesus enters into the conscience and purges it of every dead works, so that such an one can now freely serve the living God (Heb. 9:14). A seared conscience is a bad one (1 Tim. 4:2). These are the type of people they say are hardened criminals. They can do just anything. If we draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith He will have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22), so that we can hold the mystery of the faith in pure conscience.
CONCLUSION:
We can now pray asking God to create in us a good conscience, pure and clean. Let Him sprinkle our hearts from evil consciences and create in us a conscience void of offence toward God and man.
TEST YOURSELF:
1. What is another word for good conscience?
2. What are the things that can make a person's conscience bad?
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